Music History Today: June 14, 2023

June 14, 1980: Billy Joel started a six-week run at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with "Glass Houses."

The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune but not critical respect. Being classified as a soft rocker infuriated him. So Joel recorded Glass Houses.

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Comparatively harder-rocking than either of its predecessors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy ("Don't Ask Me Why") and arena rock ("All for Leyna") to soft rock ("C'etait Toi [You Were the One]") and stylish new wave pop ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.") 

Read more: Allmusic

June 14, 1945: Rod Argent was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He was a member of The Zombies, who had the 1964 hit "She's Not There," and formed the band Argent, who had the 1972 single "Hold Your Head Up."

June 14, 1961: Culture Club's lead singer, Boy George, was born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, London, England.

The New Romantic Movement emerged in the UK in the 1980s—followers dressed in 19th-century English Romantic period caricatures, including exaggerated upscale hairstyles and fashion statements. Men typically wore androgynous clothing and makeup, such as eyeliner.

Boy George

 

The style became a calling card for Boy George, who formed a group and called it Culture Club. The third single from their debut album, Kissing To Be Clever, - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" - reached the Number 1 spot in 16 countries. They were the first group since the Beatles to have three songs from their debut album become top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Read more: Biography

June 14, 1971: The first Hard Rock Cafe opened in Hyde Park, Mayfair, London, under the ownership of two Americans, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton.

The Hard Rock Cafe began to expand worldwide in 1982 when Morton opened Hard Rock Cafes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Houston.

Hard Rock Cafe in Hyde Park, London

Tigrett opened locations in New York, Dallas, Boston, Washington, D.C., Orlando, and outside the US, Paris, and Berlin. Hard Rock Cafe locations in the United States vary from smaller, more tourist-driven markets (Biloxi, Pigeon Forge, Key West) to large metropolises ( Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC). 

Read more: Hard Rock Hotels

June 14, 1997: Puff Daddy and Faith Evans debuted at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart with "I'll Be Missing You." At the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, the song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. 

It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Billy Joel